The Twins Tale
by Rebma Wolf
Summary: In Which Harry Potter has a twin sister that no-one but Albus knows about...Draco, Severus, and Harry are in for a shock. The main character Ziona, or Z is a psychic who can sense energies and spot others weaknesses, as well as manipulate the energies around her. Teaming up with Draco and Professor Snape, she tries to stop Voldemort and reconnect with her brother. M4abuse. R&R pls!
1. Slytherin House

A Harry Potter Fan-fiction Rated T+ for teens and above only.

In Which Harry Potter has a twin sister that no-one but Albus knows about...Draco, Severus, and Harry are in for a shock.

"Z. Potter" Professor McGonagal called my name after my brother's. I heard a collective gasp among the crowd, they had not realized that there were two Potters. That, or my attire had just shocked the hell out of them all. I smirked and looked at the cold floor out of habit. The thud-click of my steel toed combat boots on the floor announced my location loud and clear to the rest of the hall. Heads turned in my direction. I scowled at those judging eyes that the heads had.

My long red curls were held at temple height by black bands. My soft emerald green eyes were rimmed in black eye liner. Smokey eye shadow created a cloud of black powder above my eyes. My face had been foundation to a granite white, while my lips were decidedly blacker than my eye make-up. I had forsaken the Hogwarts standard clothing for my black mini skirt and white button up t-shirt. My standard black robe gave the look a final touch to my overall effect of telling people 'I don't care what you think, so back up off me.'

I stood next to the stool, refusing to sit. McGonagal gave me a subtle 'eh-hem.' I gave her a look that said 'I am not sitting down to only get up two seconds later.' She sighed and put the old musky hat on my head. I scowled again. I ignored the hat as it rattled its way through my head and took it off when it shouted out Slytherin. An entire table burst into applause and I rolled my eyes. I went down the stairs to where the table was at and positioned myself at the very end. I did not like people. I felt crowded.

Suddenly I felt another aura flash, and I looked up in a near joy. The aura was emating form another student who was sitting on the stool at this time. He was a blonde boy with green eyes and a troublemaker's smile. But his aura was as pure as gold, even though it was twinged with the opinions of bigot parents. I searched my memory for a name to put to this face...Draco Malfoy. That was what the professor had said. Draco . My year suddenly became a lot more interesting. The hat called him out as a Slytherin and I saw him eye the table, then eye me. In a split second he made a beeline for the seat next to me.

"So, your a Potter?" he sneered. This was already getting off to a bad start.

"Is that name supposed to mean something to me?" I asked, lacing all of my available attitude in my voice. He got the hint because he backed off. Instead he changed the subject, to something else I did not like.

"So what does the Z stand for?" he asked.

"Ziona. But I like Z." I tuned out the Headmaster as he rattled on about something or other. Instead I turned my attention to the boy sitting next to me. "Are you always this inquisitive? Or are you only this way for me?" This got his attention.

"Why do you ask, Potty?" He sneered. Now I was going to kill him.

"Look Mouth-boy, I ask because I don't like questions, I don't like people, and I am beginning to not like you despite all my attempts otherwise. And I can come up with worse names for you Playboy-bunny if you really want to push your luck." I wasn't sure why I added that last part, the last time I had teased someone in the orphanage I had to run like hell to avoid my life being ended. After eleven years of fleeing, I was fast, fit, and stronger than most females, but I still couldn't fight. I would have to work on that.

"Fine, no Potty. Your pretty good." he said, I was trying not to jump in joy at not getting hit. "Anyway, I'm just curious because I met your brother. I was wondering if you were anything like him."

"You mean besides being blood relatives and growing up in Hellish Nightmares? I don't know of anything else that connects us. In fact I doubt he knew I existed."

"What do you mean?" This boy was more curious than potential adopters before I scare them shit-less.

"I mean that the orphanage let me know full well that my Auntie dearest didn't want me around because I am an exact replica of my mother. Harry probably got shit for looking like our father. The Damn Dursley's are anti-magic bigots from hell."

"I almost pity your brother, but, no, no I don't." The weasel looking boy next to me was almost funny, now if he would only mock someone else's family we'd get along great.

"So what about your family? Not every wizard is raised in a muggle place that hates them, so what is it like for you?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"My father works in the ministry, my mother is very proud. I was raised, told that I would eventually work in the ministry as well. I was flying a broom by the time I was four. And had my first accidental magic incident when I was six. What about you?" by the way he had jumped through that and passed the ball to me, I could tell that his childhood had not been the best, and that he was reluctant to tell about it. Had he been abused at times as well? It would explain his bitter way of speaking about his father moments ago, and his comment of pity towards my brother.

"I spent my days in the orphanage fleeing from the bigger kids who I usually had insulted in one form or another. My best friend there was a tree that I would climb to escape retribution for nasty comments I had directed the bed-wetter's way. The tree had so many branches the only way you could get to is was by crawling under them. And then the branches were so thin you had to be really light to climb them. I could scale any wall or fence by the time I was 5 and at seven I could out last anyone in any kind of endurance challenge. I can hold my breath for an hour under water because the bullies used to try to drown me. And I can spot a persons weakness at a mile and use it against them if I chose to." I said, a small smile of pain lighting upon my face at the remembered trouble.

"So you can tell what bothers a person easily. Sounds like a lot of fun." he said

"It is. Though it can be dangerous, there are some people that I don't try to read at all." I glanced down the table and noticed with humor that one of the prefects was terrified of snaked. I pointed him out to Draco. "He is not in the right spot. How does a person sit in the house of serpents among the snakes of the students when he is deathly afraid of snakes? Perhaps I will ask if he causes trouble."

Draco smirks. I look up at the high table where the teachers reside for the meal. I glance at them one by one, as they all light different auras. One of the auras startled and scared me. I pointed him out to Draco. "Who is the professor that has the turban on his head?" one of the other boys heard me.

"Oh, him, he's Professor Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher." Holy shit, I thought. The DADA teach was as dark and evil as I had ever seen and he had a very dark spot on him.

"So who is our head of house teacher?" I asked.

"Professor Snape, the one in all black." Draco said. Great, his aura was nearly as confusing as mine and my brothers.

"Is there any way I can get out of here without attracting a lot of attention, my head is really starting to hurt." Draco shook his head, but grabbed my arm and stood. I stood as well and followed him. "I don't suppose you know where an empty classroom is, do you?" he shook his head again. I sighed. We sat on the steps near the Great Hall and waited for the dinner to end.

"What are you both doing out here?" A silky, but dark voice said quietly behind us. We both turned and looked behind us. Snape was there, he was the one that had spoken to us, but so was Quirrell. My vision grew dark and I grabbed my head. I saw ash and a face flying away through flames, then my vision came back. I was crouched over in my lap, with my head in my hands.

"Headache" I muttered. Then I looked up at Snape, a plea in my eye. "Is there an empty classroom with candles I can go to, please?" His eyes seemed void of any kindness, but he nodded his head.

"Draco, go back to the main hall, Quirrell will join you while I take Z somewhere where she can be relieved of her headache." We stood and split up. Snape led me down a few corridors until we stood in a dark classroom. I placed the candles in a circle, and lit them, the pulled out my tarot cards. I flipped them. Death. Someone was going to die this year. I looked at Snape.

"Someone will die this year. Someone dark will die, and someone kind will nearly pay the price for courage."

"How can you tell?" Snape asked, clearly not a man of many words.

"I have visions occasionally accompanied by a killer headache. To this date they have never been wrong, but I always confirm them with the cards, as they have yet to lead me astray" I responded, relieved to finally tell someone about it.

"What did you see?" Snape asked.

" Ashes, death, flames, and a face. Nothing I can pinpoint." I didn't mention my ability to see auras, or that Quirrell's was darker than an oil pit. Maybe I should have. I picked up my cards and blew out the candles. With a sigh I rested my head in my hands. I decided to tell Snape about Quirrell.

"Be careful of Quirrell. He is eviler and more conniving than imaginable. He will cause havoc before the year is done. He assists a darker power." My headache was going away, and I spoke a little louder to help clear my thoughts.

"How do you know?" The query was demanding and slightly angry.

"His aura. It's the darkest I have ever seen black be, but there is a spot on his head that is even darker, and radiates power, horrible power and despicable thoughts and memories. I hope never to see those." _What a nightmare they would be_, I thought to myself. I stood up, my headache finally passed. I was exhausted, and wanted to curl up on a bed and sleep until next week.

"I don't suppose you could assist me in finding the Slytherin Common Room?" I asked with a yawn. Snape nodded and exited the room, silently I followed him. My thoughts wandered as I made notes of the castle layout. _Was this place going to be like any other school? Would I hate it here as well?_My sides had begun to ache where the orphanage bully had managed to beat me before I left for this school. I was certain there were bruises. The corridors were getting colder and damper, but I didn't notice. I had lost sensitivity to the cold years ago. We came to a wall in a dead end corridor and Snape turned to me.

"The password is Basilisk Fang." he said, and as if on cue the bricks replaced themselves forming an archway with snakes as a border design. We entered the common room. The walls were green and the torches glowed an almost blue flame. The snakeskin furniture gave the room a feeling of expense and comfort. I felt more comfortable there than I had anywhere else for my whole life.

"Sit here and wait for your Prefects to arrive with the rest of your dorm-mates." Snape said, however I could not sit. It had been hard enough to do so on the train and at dinner as well as in the circle when I read the tarot cards. My lower back ached from where I had been whipped for tripping in front of the matron as I fled from my tormentors, I myself thought it was infected, and it had been all I could do not to whimper these days. So I stood, and this got a look of annoyance mixed with concern to cross Snape's face. I looked away, nervous that I would get beaten here as well. Just then the other Slytherins entered the room. I let out a slight exhalation of breath as Draco came over and stood by me.

"Are you alright?" Draco whispered out of the corner of his mouth as the Prefects explained how Slytherins had to stick together.

"I'm better, thanks." I responded, equally as quiet. Just then Snape took the floor and explained his rules on how he punished Slytherins and other students, explaining how because we were snakes we weren't trusted and there fore had more points docked than any other House combined by other teachers. The conversation after that quickly turned to abuse after that, and I stood there in slight shock.

"There are students who come to Hogwarts from abusive places, and I understand that they may not wish this knowledge to be made public. If you or someone you know is from or is suspected to be from such a place, you can immediately come and talk to me at any time, my office is through those doors and the floor length portrait of Sir Edward the Third guards the entrance to my private quarters. If you do not see me, refer to him and he will get me, or tell you where I can be located. Now, I wish to speak to Z, as well as the fourth through seventh year students. Form a line outside this door and when I say next, whoever is next in line may enter." With that he entered his office and the students got in line. I took my place as the very last with my books in my shoulder bag. I pulled out my potions book and began reading, keeping not of the progress of the line. I had just finished the potions book and was starting on Herbology when my turn was up. Keeping my nose in the book I walked through the doorway to his office and stood in front of his desk.

"You wished to speak to me, Sir." He was different from my other teachers that I had so I would not call him Professor and place him in the same category as the others.

"Will you explain to me why you refuse to sit down for any long length or extremely short length of time?" He demanded, well at least he was to the point. I marked the page I was on and put the book up, then set my bag and robe down. I then turned around and lifted the back of my shirt up, revealing the criss-crossing bands of blood and muscle and torn flesh. I knew from the heat on my back that the flesh that wasent barely hanging on was red and inflamed, I knew also from my studies that the cuts would have a pus in them. I lowered my shirt and turned back to face Snape.

"That was last week sir. It wont heal. Yesterday, one of my tormentors managed to corner me and I don't know how many ribs are injured or still even in place. Would you like to see the belt marks that line my stomache? Or perhaps the knife marks that line my legs beneath my pantyhose? Would you like to see my ribs and sternum from malnutrition. Or the fact that I have scars on my hands from fixing my own clothing in the middle of the night without light so that I have something that fits me to wear? I'm sure if I had some kind of real doctor look at my lungs they would find scars and sever damage from cleaning and being trapped and locked in rooms with no ventilation and harsh chemicals that should never be mixed made into a very colorful cocktail. Or you could question why all my nerves in my arms and legs are shot so that I can't feel heat or cold or pain from them. Or maybe the fact that my bones are lucky to look so normal considering the amount of times they have been broken and never set." I was in near tears by the time I had finished, and I bent forward and rested my hands on my knees so that I wouldn't sit down and make my back worse. Then I laughed.

"Would you care to explain what is so humorous?" Snape asked.

"If it was this bad for me, and I was in an orphanage who was told routinely that I was a freak who needed constant punishment in order to be 'cured' by my Aunt Petunia, I can only imagine how horrible it had to be for Harry, who had to live with Satan, his wife, and his oversized whale of a son." I said, then let out a pained laugh, that sounded more like a wheeze, and the first tears fell from my eyes in since I was four.

"Come, we're going to see Madam Pomferey about your injuries." Snape said. I painfully shrugged my shoulders and gathered my stuff. As we exited the office I pulled out my Herbology book again and continued reading it, taking careful note of the ingrediants that were called for in the poitions book. I had it finished when we arrived at the hospital wing. I decided not to start anything so that I could keep an eye on the nurse.

"Madam Pomferey, we have a severe case." Snape said loudly. A slightly rounded woman came around the corner and took a look at me. She cast a spell and a quill and parchment appeared, beginning to scribble down things. Curious, I asked about it.

"Oh, dearie, its a diagnostic charm. Here, like this." She said and she showed me how to do it. I took half a second to repeat the process in my mind first, then cast it directed at my left arm. The charm worked perfectly and fast.

"Like that?" I asked for confirmation.

"That's the best I have ever seen, how did you-?" she asked.

"Photographic memory, or something. Anything I see or read or hear I can repeat perfectly with perfect understanding and knowledge." I said hesitantly, as I had been beaten for revealing it before.

"Astounding." Snape said. I allowed myself a small smile. Madam Pomferey's list got longer and longer than any list I had ever seen. I doubted very much if that was a good thing. I figured that it would take a while so I pulled out my charms book. I began to flip through it, memorizing each page as I did so. Reading carefully when something caught my eyes. I then repeated the process with transfiguration, history, and the rest of my year one books. I was halfway through my year two books when Madam Pomferey spoke.

"Finally. Thirty pages, child you have had more injuries than a retiring auror."

"Who?" I asked Snape.

"A dark wizard fighter, like a muggle cop." he replied. Hmmm. Figured that it wasn't good.

"So now what?" I asked. Both adults looked to each other and had a look of deep thought. I rolled my eyes and went back to reading my year two standard books. I has started my year three standard potions book before they had come up with any solid ideas that would actually make sense, and they were still debating about it. A new thought occurred to me.

"Sir, how come all medicinal, or healing plants aren't combined in an all purpose potion? It would be incredibly useful for cases like myself, or when you don't have time to run a diagnostic spell. I mean, I understand that some plants would cancel each other out, but there has to be a way to block the cancelling properties of the plant to increase the effectiveness of the potion." hmm, I thought, if I make it out of here tonight then I will devote my extra time this year to creating an effective poition of such properties. It could cover different stages, such as innocent to mild, mild to dangerous, dangerous to severe, severe to deadly. Then you would only have to judge the status of the injury. It was a curious thought that would do the world a great deal of good. I puled out some parchment and did a hover charm on it, and a quill and ink bottle and did a charm on it to write down my thoughts automatically in an organized fashion, as well as anything I or another said that would be relevent to the topic of the potion. It would be nice to have a potion that inhibited the abuse factor in others, but for this year I would work on healing, then next year I would work on inhibiting. The quill made that a side not in the margins. The rest of the evening passed in a blur of potions and healing magic. I went to my potions books and herbology books and cast a spell that would highlight anything with the reference of healing. I thought again and did the same to my charms books as well.

I yawned and looked at the clock on the wall. Professor Snape looked as well. It was past midnight and I had my first class with him in the morning. I shook my head to clear it of the Sandmans sand and try to focus on my healing process. I could feel myself drifting and sighed. I put a stasis spell on my current projects and packed them away. Madam Pomferey came to try to usher me to stay and sleep on the hospital bed for the night now that my back was healed, but I shook her off.

"Point me, Slytherin Common Room" I cast the spell and followed the arrow, slightly wobbly and leaning against the walls of the castle.

Severus Snape watched as his new snake-ling struggled to make it to her common room to sleep for a few hours before his class. When the little redhead turned the corner he faced Poppy Pomferey.

"She said that her brother, Harry Potter might be in a similar condition, you may want to have him come in before classes tomorrow to check him out. Let me know what you find."


	2. Potions Class and Old Enemies

I woke one morning, a few days later, on my stomach with a feeling of dread and ice in my heart. The trepidation that I felt was unexplained, but I hoped that things would not go as bad as they seemed to be going to go. I got up out of her bed and dressed in a green loose floor length skirt and a silver ¾ blouse, over which I threw my standard black robe. I decided to go without make-up today as I pulled a fistful of my hair up by my temple and put it in a ponytail there. I grabbed my book bag and left the dorms and common room. I steadily walked up to the great hall, wondering what was for breakfast.

Sitting at the Slytherin table I ate a few pieces of toast and drank some milk. Draco came over and joined me after a few moments.

"So, what classes do we have today?" I asked him. A smirk lit up his face and his eyes glittered. He seemed happier now that school had started properly.

"Double Potions with Professor Snape and the lions." Draco's aura was glowing with his excitement and fluctuating with energy. I couldn't help but smile along with him. The feeling of dread I had awoken with was forgotten as we headed down to the dungeons that made up our portion of the castle. All the Slytherin first years arrived before the Gryffindors. Draco and I paired up together and sat in a bench in the first row. Once all the first years were seated I looked around. My brother and his two close friends, the idiot Ron and the genius Hermione were seated in the front row on the Gryffindor side of the class. I scanned the other faces in the room but froze on a painfully familiar face.

I focused on my breathing as flashbacks threatened to send me into a panic. I was sitting in the same class as one of the worst bullies of my life. He turned to face me and grinned when we made eye contact. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. Draco nudged me in the arm to get my attention.

"Who is he?" Draco asked. I looked at him as I tried to calm myself.

"He is Jareth. He likes carving and playing with knives. He truly loves his canvas." The distaste and hatred shown through in my voice.

"I take it you don't like him?" Draco drawled. I smiled at him softly, pained.

"He is one of the many bullies at the orphanage. He is also rather territorial about his work. He wont like that you and I are friends." I whispered softly as I rolled the sleeve up on my robe, revealing the scarred word _freak_ ingraved on my lower arm. "He got more talented through the years, even designing his own signature." suddenly the dungeon doors slammed open and Snape stormed in the room.

I smiled to myself as he began his lecture, but frowned when he targeted my brother. _I may not know my brother vary well, and our school houses may be rivals, but this blatant dislike is uncalled for. And either way, family is family, and I will stand by my family._ The angry thought coursed through my mind as Snape continued to antagonize my brother. I sat up straighter and looked straight ahead at the Professor's cauldron. When Snape set us to work on a boil cure potion I went to gather the ingredients for Draco and myself, giving Snape a icy glare as I passed. I knew as a Slytherin that he would not call me out on it, but I made a note to stay after class and talk to him. I went back to the bench that Draco and I were working at and guided him through the steps of the potion. By the end of the class we had a perfect potion, but I couldn't say the same for everyone. Jareth had teamed up with a boy named Neville and their potoin had reacted poorly because they had skipped a step, and they both ended up with boils. I heard Snape snap at them and turned to look.

I broke into laughter when I saw Jareth. The boils on his face spelled out _Idiot_. I laughed loud and clear. Jareth turned to face me and gave me a glare, but I just smiled at him and approached.

"You know JJ, thats a really good look for you." I snickered. He practically growled at me.

"You should watch yourself Ziona, I am a lot better at my craft than I was a few months ago." The smile that lit up his face froze my blood. I felt the blood drain from my face. At that point I figured that I probably didn't need my foundation to make my face snow white.

"Listen and listen good Jareth, if you take so much as one step towards me or mine, one breath in my direction, and I will hex you until you don't know your own name. Am I understood?" The threat in my voice was clear and precise. Jareth meerly smirked at me. I rolled my eyes and walked back to my bench and sat next to Draco. Professor Snape scolded the lions furiously for another five minutes before sending Neville and Jareth to Madam Pomferey. He then scolded my brother for not preventing the accident. I rolled my eyes and mentally nocked up another reason to talk to Snape after class. I sighed and shook my head. I zoned out the rest of the class until Snape dismissed us. I then slowly packed my bag and waited until all the other students had left for lunch, then walked up to Snape's desk.

"Can I assist you, Z?" Snape asked without looking up. I took a deep breath.

"Sir, I understand the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and thus your less than appreciating behaviour to the lion cubs, but could you explain to me your blatent hatred of my brother?" I asked trying to be as polite as possible in my aggravation.

"I'm afraid that I do not understand what you are talking about." he replied tersly, looking up at me. I had apparently hit a nerve.

"Please don't lie to me, sir. I am not stupid, and I can read your aura clear as day. You hate my brother, who has done nothing to you, and I cannot fathom as to why, unless you had poor dealings with our father, who Harry looks identical to. If that is the case I feel that I must remind you that Harry is no more James than I am Lily. We are our own persons. You cannot hold the past to us, as we have no part in it. Whatever happened in the past, get over it." I leveled a glare in his direction and held his gaze. I didn't blink and neither did he. His aura flickered with something I could not decipher, and I cataloged it away for future notice. Finally I gave up on a real response, he may be focused on me, but he would not acknowledge the point I had made. With a sigh I turned and left the room. I was not giving up on my point, I was however acknowledging a stalemate.


	3. Confrontations

It was days later and I had made a small note of the fact that while Snape did not treat Harry like a normal child, he did at least ignore him and not pick on him. I was slightly pleased. I had yet to say a word to my brother, and it was harder now because Jareth seemed to always be around him, and I was wary of facing Jareth after my previous comment to him. I also made sure that I was always near other snakes whenever I walked around the castle. I didn't want to come across him on my own. At the same time, I knew what would happen if Draco, one of my only friends, was caught alone with him.

However, this morning I had forgotten one of my afternoon classes books in the dorm, so I would have to go and get it. I told Draco at lunch and he offered to come with me to get it, all snake-lings had been warned the danger of wandering alone in the hallways, but I knew I would have to face my fears eventually. Instead of responding I shrugged my shoulders and left the great hall.

After getting my book from the dorm I began to walk quickly to my next class, transfiguration. I had a few minutes before it started but I didn't want to be late. A chill, however raced down my spine when I turned a corner to the transfiguration hallway. Instinctively I froze in my place and glanced around.

"Well, look at Ziona all alone and on her own." the voice chilled me, and my heart began to race, tripping over itself in fear as I turned to face Jareth. His cold gray eyes stared stonily at me with glitters of malice. I tried to take a deep breath but the air shuddered within me. I could feel my legs already shaking.

"Leave me alone." I tried to sound confident, but here in the solitude of the empty hallway my voice came out barely above a whisper. He began to approach me and I hastily stepped back, until my back collided with the cool stone walls of the castle. Still he approached slowly, like a predator.

"What was that?" he asked, his voice light, full of false caring. I flinched backed from it. My hands were splayed against the walls, and I forgot about my magic. My eyes widened as I tried to look for any escape route. Instead, he blocked me against the wall.

"I saw that you found a friend here. Does he know you belong to me?" his voice had gone dark and I flinched back from it and him. I shut my eyes and turned my face away. If I was quiet, whatever he decided to do would hurt less because I didn't resist. I felt small, like a rabbit cornered by a wolf.

"Jareth, what are you doing?" a familiar voice asked from down the hall. In my fear I couldn't place it.

"Not a word." Jareth growled lowly in me ear before he backed up. "Just talking to an old friend, Harry." Harry, as in my brother? I opened my eyes and their he was with Hermione and Ron. I could feel my eyes pleading with him not to listen, but I turned away and ran the few feet left to class. My heart was still racing like a jackrabbit. Inside I sat down next to Draco.

"Are you okay?" he asked me in a hushed whisper as the four followed into the class. I nodded my head minutely.

"Yeah, I just ran into an artist." I muttered before the lesson began. I only half payed attention to Professor McGonagal. Instead, I drew in my journal a rather realistic picture of a mother dragon protecting her clutch while slowly roasting Jareth on a spit. It brought a slight smile to my face. In little caption bubbles I had an egg thinking 'whats that?' and the mother replying 'just deserts'. Draco glanced over my shoulder and smirked at my artwork. I knew I was pleased with it. It was, after all, a cute play on words. When the assignment was given out, it was to turn a plush apple into a pin cushion. I did it easily within one try, then went back to my artwork. I flipped a page of my journal and began to draw a startlingly lifelike cobra, standing with its hood flared and fangs bared.

With a sigh I realized I was bored and so I pulled out a book on animagus transformations and their meanings. I had already read all the other books that the library had on animagi and decided that I would try it out, though I would know what each animal meant before I learned what I was. That way I would not be unhappy with whatever I turned into. This book, fortunately went in depth on all the meanings, including the ones for the rarest of forms, which would leave me with no surprises. I smiled as I read of the different meanings that each animal had, and found that the founders of Hogwarts had chosen their insignias well. By the time the double transfiguration was over I had finished the book. I figured that I would work on it tonight, as I had already turned in my research and ideas on both all purpose healing potions and characteristic subduing to Snape. When the professor finally dismissed us for dinner Draco and I both walked out ahead of the group. We paused when I heard my name called from behind. I turned to face the person who had called me to find myself facing Harry.

"Z, I don't know what Jareth said to you, but I did tell him to leave you alone. Are you all right?" the boy seemed caring, and his aura was golden, rather like Draco's, as were those of his two companions. I glanced at Draco, then faced the three lions.

"Would you like to join us for dinner in the kitchens? We normally go there for dinner anyway." I offered my brother. He glanced at his friends and then back at me.

"I think that I would like that, yes." he said. His two friends shrugged their shoulders and followed as we led them to the kitchen. With a smile I tickled the pear and the portrait opened to reveal the kitchen, filled with house-elves. They smiled and welcomed us, before placing the usual pumpkin juice and fruit salads and roast beef before us along with some pudding.

"Jareth wont leave me alone, Harry. He never has,and he never will. But I thank you for trying. No one ever has except Draco." Draco had done so a week ago, and had earned himself a nasty cut along his stomach that I had healed for him. Neither of us had been anywhere with Jareth if we could help it since until today. Harry nodded at me and a look of understanding flowed in his eyes. We both knew what I had meant by my statement.

After that we all ate through dinner, Ron and Draco sharing jokes and making us laugh until I thought I myself was going to have pumpkin juice running from my nose. Hermione and I chatted about classes and homework and what was easy. I told her about my idea for the all purpose healing potions and she thought it was a splendid idea. By the time dinner was over, the five of us had formed a fast friendship. Even Draco and Harry were getting along great. When we separated to go to our respective dorms, we decided that we would meet together in the great hall for our shared study hall the following days.

In the dorms I worked on my animagus form and was able to transform my feet. They turned into hooves with a soft light mocha brown fur covering them until they met my human body parts. I smiled softly as I went to bed, happy with the many accomplishments of the day.


	4. Tricky Memory

**Authors Note: Important! Yes, I know that Draco is 'out of character', however I had always imagined that he had a softer side to him that didn't get introduced. It seemed to me that he could be just a scared kid who needed a real friend, and a real chance to get to know Harry and the others. Also, I acknowledge that Z's abilities are a bit cliché, however I am basing her off of me, my personality, and my wants. I have always been good at reading others emotions and telling what bothers them, so I wanted to really give this character a major boost in those directions. I also thought that it would be really cool to give her the ability to predict the future. So yeah, I know the gifts are not exactly original, and more tried and true, but I still wanted to give it a whirl. **

**Sorry it's been so long since I last posted, I have been having a total brain dead period for this story!**

Halloween was fast approaching and Hogwarts was slowly being filled with somewhat spooky decorations. I found myself rolling my eyes as I passed them by in the hallways. To date my classes had been really boring, and I had already moved on to fourth year books, having ordered them a few weeks ago. Draco rarely left my side, and for that I was grateful as Jareth seemed to be lurking around nearly every corner trying to corner me. I still felt a shiver of fear down my spine when I walked by him. Harry and I had also become closer, making up for our years away from each other and knowing nothing about the other.

I had also managed to be able to transform half of my body (the lower part) into my animagus form. I had maintained my mocha brown fur and hooves, and had also been a beautiful short tail that resembled a leaf in shape and had white fur on the underside, though it stood erect. I had also found that the higher up my fur went, the more reddish brown it looked. It also came with milky white spots on my lower back and on up. I was guessing that my animagus form would turn out to be a fawn. I thought that it was absolutely adorable. However, I had learned that my scars that I had acquired throughout the years also transferred onto my animagus form, so my legs were covered in words like freak and tramp. Still, I was happy with my accomplishments.

It was the morning of halloween and I got up just like every other day. Unlike other kids, I never did anything for halloween, in fact I just went about it like any other day. So I coated my face in foundation until I made snow look grey and then lined my eyes in smokey black eyeliner, before covering my eyelids in a deep green before applying my coal black mascara thickly. I then lined my lips with lip liner and painted them black with lipstick. I brushed my mass of red curls and then pulled them back in a high ponytail with a green scrunchie. I threw on a green plaid knee length dress and black thigh socks along with my combat boots and black robe, though I left the robe open. I also threw on my skull belt and let it hang loosely off my hips.

I then joined Draco at the enterance to the slytherin common room.

"So, I'm guessing you don't dress up for Halloween?" he asked me. I laughed lightly and shook my head.

"Why would I? Normally on today I go all out with my style, and no one can say a word about it. So, whats our first class today?"

"History of Magics." I groaned. History was such a boring subject, and the teacher was worse. He had no idea of the meaning of an entertaining lesson plan. With a sigh we walked to the great hall for breakfast.

"So, I was thinking that our group would go to the Halloween feast tonight, instead of eating in the kitchens, what do you think?" I asked Draco. He looked at me then nodded. "Great, I will tell the others." at this I walked off towards the Gryfindor table. No one really thought it was weird anymore because I always talked to my brother and his friends. When I got there Hermione greeted me.

"Hey, Draco and I think it would be fun to have dinner here tonight for the Halloween feast, you want to tell the boys?" I asked her.

"Sure." she responded. I smiled at her, then walked off. When I sat next to Draco he pushed the pitcher of pumpkin juice in my direction. I grinned and said thanks. As I was pouring a glass for myself I felt the hair at the back of my neck raise.

"Hey little girl, how are you?" Jareth said slowly from behind me. I froze, lifting the lip of the pitcher enough that it wouldn't pour all over the table. One of Draco's other friends, Crabb, I think, grabbed it out of my hands. Draco turned and faced Jareth.

"Why are you over here, are you lost?" he asked snidely. Draco's question snapped me out of my paralysis and I turned to face Jareth as well. He was dressed from head to toe in black, with his black shirt streaked with red, as if he had been poorly butchered. He wore a silver necklace that had a small dagger hanging from it. Most would think that the dagger was only a pendant, but he had cut me with that dagger before. Jareth smirked at us.

"No, I just came by to make sure little Ziona remembers what today is." he flashed a cruel smile, showing off his white teeth. I sneered at him and shook my head.

"Sorry, does this day mean something to you? Or me? Perhaps you are lost." that was when Snape came up behind him and I grinned.

"What are you grinning at you little—" he snarled.

"Mr. Jareth, I suggest that you go find your own table." Snape said in his oily smooth voice. Saved by the teacher. As Jareth walked away I turned back to my plate and sighed in relief.

"What did Jareth mean about today?" Draco asked me. I looked at him for a moment then looked down.

"6 years ago today is when Jareth first arrived at the orphanage and began his tormenting of me. Back then he wasn't nearly as skilled with a blade as he is now, but I still have that scar." I said softly.

"Where is it?" Goyle asked. He had a disturbing interest in scars.

"My left shoulder blade. Its a 'J'. That was the first time he marked me as his. He has redeveloped his signature since. That one I carry on my lower back." I replied.

"Why don't you tell an adult?" Draco asked. I looked him in the eye.

"Because they can't do anything about it, they don't stop him, and if he found out it would only get worse. I only have so much skin left untouched by his blade."

I was angry. Not at my friends, but at the fact that I was still afraid of Jareth. I stood and whirled around, fully intending to march out of there and to history class, and that was when I ran into Snape. I looked up at him and his face showed that he had heard every word. I froze for a moment then fled. I couldn't believe that an adult now knew of my predicament with Jareth. I was so angry that I decided to skip class. I headed straight to the girls bathroom and locked myself in a stall. I sat on the toilet seat and glared at the stall door. I wanted it to blow up. I could feel the tears fighting to come to the surface, but I pushed them back and shook my head. I never wanted an adult to know what I went through with Jareth. It was the only thing that I hadn't told Snape about, simply because the one time I had told an adult, they had told me that I deserved to be cut and carved on. That I was nothing. I thought back to that time.

_Jareth had been at the orphanage for a week now, and had been my closest friend. We were currently playing in the woods, on the edge of the grounds._

"_Hey, Z, look what I got from the kitchen!" he said in a conspiratorial whisper as he pulled out a small, but sharp looking knife. I stared at it for a moment then looked at him._

"_JJ, you should put it back. You could get hurt with it, or if you got caught with it you would get in so much trouble." but he shook his head. _

"_It's okay, the cook said that I could have it." I looked warily at the knife, then nodded._

"_So what are you gonna do with it?" I asked him. He looked at me strangely before responding._

"_My dad used to carve. I always thought that that was so cool, and I still do. I wanna be a professional carver when I get older. I could make so much money if I was really good at it." I smiled at him. "Hey, Z? Will you help me practice?" the question was so innocent that I grinned._

"_Sure, JJ. I would love to! Do you want me to get you some bark off of the old tree in the corner?" I asked him. He nodded in response, but his eyes had that strange look again. When I turned around he tackled me. "Ow JJ! What are you doing?!" fear began to fill me. Would he hurt me like all the others? I thought he was my friend. I began to struggle when I felt something cold at the back of my neck._

"_If you make a sound, I will kill you." his voice was dark, and there was an edge to it. I froze. I could feel him pull the left strap from my tank top off to the side, then he pressed the knife's edge to my skin. The cold metal bit, but not as much as when he pulled it down into the shape of a 'J'. I shut my eyes and bit my tongue to keep from making a sound. It hurt insanely, and was worse than anything else that I had been met with. When he was done doing that he leaned near my ear._

"_Don't tell anyone, or it _will_ get worse." then he got off my back and walked off. I heard him laughing with the other kids as I lay there on my stomach, tears pouring down my face. I couldn't believe that my only friend had turned on me. I sat up and pulled the strap back up like it was supposed to. I was going to tell the matron. _

_I got up and ran inside, then went to the matron's office. I halted, then knocked on her door._

"_Enter." the cold voice made me shiver, but I pushed the door open and walked in with my head down. "What do you want?" her sharp voice made me flinch._

"_Mrs. Matron, Jareth has a knife...and he cut me with it." I kept my head down and my voice soft and level. She laughed._

"_That is what freaks like you deserve. Now get out of my office and go clean yourself up." my eyes filled with tears again. I nodded then walked out, shutting the door behind me. Once that was done, I sprinted to the bathroom. I cleaned the wound as best as I could with wet toilet paper, then went to my room. _I will never tell an adult about Jareth again. They can't be trusted!_ I swore to myself._

_Later that night, when every one else was asleep, Jareth slipped in my room._

"_Z, I'm sorry." he said softly. I looked at him. I didn't know if I should trust him. He came forward and sat on my bed opposite me. I watched him warily, but couldn't avoid it when he pulled me across the bed and onto my stomach again pinning me down. "I'm sorry you told, but at least now I can practice again." he said with a small laugh. With that he yanked my shirt up and on my right shoulder blade began to carve. This time he carved a word. When he was done he again whispered in my ear. "No one is going to help you, Ziona." then he left my room. I checked the word carefully in my rooms mirror. 'Bitch'. I spent the rest of the night crying._

As I came out of the memory I noticed tears running down my face. I wiped them away angrily and hastily as I heard footsteps in the bathroom.

"Z? Are you in here? Are you alright?" it was Hermione. I opened the stall door and looked at her. My eyes filled with tears again. "Z, you can trust me. You can talk to me. I'm right here, and I am not going to leave you alone." the tears began to overflow and I threw myself into a hug with her. I sobbed and sobbed, and she hugged me. We sat on the floor of the bathroom. We spent the whole day in there, me crying, and Hermione comforting me and soothing me. Eventually I told her about the first time Jareth had taken a knife to me. She was shocked to know that he and I had at one time, if only for a moment, been friends. It was dinner time before I was done crying. She helped me clean my face up, and reapply my make-up.

We had decided to go to the great hall with what remainder time we had and eat something. We were eager to get going as a foul stench filled the room, but when we turned around there was a huge troll standing in front of us, blocking the door. We both screamed. The troll swung his club at us and we ducked. Hermione slipped into a stall at the troll swung his club and knocked the stall walls down. We both crawled under the sinks. It was then that the boys ran into the bathroom. They attacked the troll as Hermione and I fled to the doors to stand beside them. Ron knocked the troll out with its own club using a levitation charm. That was when the teachers entered as well. For once McGonagal looked speechless.

"E-e-explain yourselves." she demanded. The boys stuttered around, trying to find their voices, and Hermione looked stuck. I stepped in quickly.

"It was a chance encounter. I was in the bathroom and Hermione came looking for me so that I wouldn't miss dinner. When she got here I was reapplying my make-up. She helped me finish up but when we turned around the troll was there. We panicked and screamed, and I'm guessing the boys heard us because they showed up a second later. If they hadn't, Hermione and I would probably be dead." I looked down. Snape was there and the last thing I wanted was to talk to him about Jareth, but I knew he would demand to know more about the situation. McGonagal looked again speechless.

"Well. Perhaps next time you will be on time to dinner. 50 points to each of you young gentlemen. Now, go to your dorms." she began to usher us out, and that was when Snape decided to speak.

"Mrs. Z, I would like to have a word with you." I glanced at him as I continued my way out of the destroyed bathroom.

"I prefer not to. Goodnight, professors." I stated coldly as I walked away.

From a distance I heard McGonagal mutter, "For sheer dumb luck." I grinned.

Okay, so what do you think of this chapter? I intend to begin the hunting for Nicolas Flamel in the next chapter, as well as Christmas break. Now, I have a couple ideas for Draco and his relationship with his friends after Christmas break.

he talks to his dad about his friends and his dad doesn't like it so he tells Draco to break off his friendship and Draco does?

He comes back having asked about Nicolas Flamel and that is how they get their information on what is behind the trap door

both

Now, I need a vote or at least some comments on what I should do, because I am not sure where to go from here. Any help would be appreciated! Thank and keep reviewing!


End file.
